Ah, another election, another flood of LinkedIn wisdom posts—where every poll result is a "case study," every political leader is a "CEO," and every campaign is an "MBA-level lesson in leadership." Some call it democracy, but on LinkedIn, it’s all about business jargon and corporate analogies.
So, let’s break this down the LinkedIn way.
AAP: From Disruptor to Establishment to Decline
- AAP was the ultimate political startup—the kind that raises Series A, B, and C funding at record speed, becomes a unicorn, and then implodes under its own weight. It was supposed to be the alternative to traditional politics, the fresh face in a crowded market, a party that rejected caste, religion, and dynasty-driven politics.
- But somewhere along the way, it stopped being a startup and started behaving like an old-school corporate giant—bloated, bureaucratic, and overconfident.
1) From Lean & Agile to Bureaucratic & Slow- AAP started with hyperlocal engagement, grassroots activism, and direct voter outreach—the political equivalent of a D2C brand shaking up a legacy market.
- Over time, it became centralized and top-heavy, with decision-making confined to a handful of leaders. MLAs became inaccessible, the leadership became distant, and ground-level mobilization weakened. No succession planning. Kejriwal remained the sole face of the party, and there was no second-rung leadership strong enough to carry the brand forward. It failed to expand beyond Delhi and Punjab—despite trying in Goa, Gujarat, and Karnataka. The inability to scale beyond its original USP made it a regional player rather than a national force.
- The result? Voters saw it as just another party, not the disruptor it once was.
2) A Reputation Built on Ethics, Lost to Scandals- AAP built its brand on fighting corruption—but its own leadership got embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of its time, the liquor policy scam.
- Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and even Kejriwal himself faced corruption allegations, undoing years of anti-corruption positioning.
- The Sheesh Mahal controversy—where Kejriwal’s residence was allegedly renovated with ₹45 crore of taxpayer money—completely shattered the “humble leader” narrative.
- AAP’s response? Defensive, aggressive, and dismissive. Instead of damage control, it doubled down on denial—a classic PR blunder.
- The perception shift was swift and brutal—from “anti-corruption warriors” to just another power-hungry political entity.
3) Ignoring the Middle-Class Voter That Built Its Base- AAP was originally the party of the middle class—frustrated taxpayers who wanted clean governance and economic relief.
- Over time, its focus shifted to freebies and populist policies, leaving the middle class feeling ignored.
- BJP stepped in at the right time—offering tax reliefs, infrastructure promises, and a governance model that reassured middle-class voters.
- Kejriwal’s pre-election outreach to the middle class felt forced and last-minute—while BJP had already solidified its positioning.
- Takeaway? A business (or party) that forgets its core customer will eventually lose them.
4) Blaming External Factors Instead of Owning Failures- For 10 years, AAP blamed the Centre, the LG, and opposition parties for everything.
- The “victim card” was effective in the early years but wore thin by 2025—voters expected governance, not excuses.
- BJP flipped this weakness into an advantage, promising that with a BJP-led government, there would be no Centre-state conflicts, leading to “seamless governance.”
- The narrative changed from “AAP vs. BJP” to “AAP vs. Results.” Lesson? Leaders who constantly shift blame instead of delivering solutions lose credibility.
5) Strategic Missteps and Lack of Political Alliances- AAP contested separately from Congress, which led to a split in the anti-BJP vote.
- Rahul Gandhi’s direct attacks on Kejriwal made matters worse—AAP was getting hit from both sides.
- Internal conflicts weakened the party further. Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj were seen as Kejriwal’s successors, but there was no clear transition strategy.
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